Lung Nodules

berries

Based on a few nodules (that may be inflammation, infection or fibrotic... or not) that showed on a recent CT, it was recommended that I have a lung biopsy. the nodules are less than 6mm and I am told they are very common to have, but I am devastated that my journey will never be over. I haven't stopped crying and mourning.

I started a rabbit hole of CT scans after treatment ended this April and one scan keeps leading to another. Last October, I had clear scans.

Has anyone had benign lung nodules appear? Have they been biopsied?

Please help.

2019whatayear

I finished radiation in Feb, I had a CT in May CT showed a lung nodule that was 5mm and medistinal mass that was notable but likely due to radiation and some ground glass opacity. So in early June I had a PET scan and there wasn't and uptake and then in early Sept I had a 3 month follow up from the summer scans and the CT said everything was stable. Benign lung nodules def. occur all the time, I'm sorry you have to get a biopsy did they say why they think you need a biopsy--did the scan show the nodules were increasing?

berries

Thank you so much for your reply. I'm in tears right now.

I had a similar report that mentioned ground glass opacity. They also ordered a Pet which I will have next week, but my onc is overly thorough and suggested a biopsy to rule anything out. The CT report suggested a follow up 3 month scan as well.

The small nodules are new from my scan in May, which showed nothing in the lungs. The report said it could be due to a bunch of different non-cancer related things, but I'm heartbroken and so scared.

LivinLife

I had a CT scan several years ago due to scleroderma - an issues was found on my very first PFT screening. The scan showed one nodule (about a cm I believe?) and one smaller nodule with some ground glass opacity as well. I was rescanned about 8 months later - just how the timing worked out for me. No change so was told no worries. That report said consider another scan though I had to change specialists and I never had that follow up scan. No doc has ever recommended I get a 3rd scan. I still get yearly echocardiograms and PFT's for scleroderma and those things remain stable. Nodules in many parts of the body are common and often found incidentally. I think one has cancer (some) docs are extra vigilant as a precaution.... I wish you well with all of this!

berries

Hi ladies,

I had a PET to take a closer look at the nodules and got the following report. My NP called and said they can't really tell what the one nodule is, but bones and everything else look clear. Thank God. Has anyone ever had a PET scan for a nodule with an SUV over 2.5? 3.2 doesn't seem TOO bad considering I finished radiation in April on the same side and it could be inflammatory. She said they would recommend a biopsy, but I don't really want to go there. Results are below. What do you think?

FINDINGS:

HEAD/NECK
No enlarged or hypermetabolic cervical lymph nodes. Visualized brain demonstrates no gross abnormalities. There is a heterogeneous, partially calcified right thyroid nodule without significant hypermetabolic activity, which was reportedly biopsied previously. Heterogeneous increased activity within the supraclavicular and high cervical fat likely relates to physiologic activity within brown fat.

CHEST
There is a 1.2 cm pulmonary nodule in the lingula which demonstrates increased metabolic activity (SUVmax 3.2). There is an additional somewhat linear nodular opacity in the periphery of the right lower lobe without significant hypermetabolic activity (SUVmax 1.7), unchanged from prior CT and favored to represent atelectasis. No other suspicious foci of hypermetabolic activity are seen in the lungs to correlate with the other small pulmonary nodules seen on the prior CT. There are curvilinear bands of atelectasis in the lung bases.

There are small foci of hypermetabolic activity adjacent to the distal esophagus and gastroesophageal junction, which are favored to represent physiologic activity within brown fat. No enlarged or hypermetabolic mediastinal, hilar or axillary lymph nodes are identified. Increased activity in the distal esophagus is favored to relate to reflux.

There are are postsurgical changes of left mastectomy with a left breast prosthesis.

ABDOMEN/PELVIS
No enlarged or radiotracer-avid pelvic or inguinal lymph nodes. The liver, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands, and kidneys are normal. The bowel is normal in caliber.

BONES
There is a sclerotic focus along the lateral aspect of the left rib, without significant associated hypermetabolic activity. This is indeterminate but may reflect a treated, inactive metastatic lesion or other benign etiology. No aggressive or hypermetabolic osseous lesions are identified.

IMPRESSION:

F-18 FDG PET/CT demonstrates a 1.2 cm hypermetabolic pulmonary nodule in the lingula suspicious for a pulmonary metastasis. Tissue sampling may be of value.

No evidence of more distant metastatic disease is identified.

2019whatayear

I think the the biopsy recommendation is b/c the nodule is 12mm in size? I’m sorry you didn’t get some definitive good news